Investigating Frequency Change in a Ring Oscillator

[SMOF]

Hello,

I am hoping someone can give me some advice.

I am playing about with the design of a ring oscillator in an electronics simulations package. The ring has 5 inverters. As part of the assignment we were asked to ad in an extra inverter to the output of the ring and see if there was a change in operating frequency, and there was. It dropped from about 92 MHz without the extra inverter to about 81 MHz with it.

Is this change in operating frequency due to the fact that because there is an extra inverter, the time it takes for an input signal to propagate through the system, and because time relates to frequency, the longer the time, the slower the frequency?

I'd be very grateful for anyones input.

Thanks in advance.

Seán

 

[MisterX]

Is this change in operating frequency due to the fact that because there is an extra inverter, the time it takes for an input signal to propagate through the system, and because time relates to frequency, the longer the time, the slower the frequency?

Yes, the frequency is related to the delay like you suggest.